Pakistan vs Nepal, Asia Cup 2023 Highlights: PAK beat NEP by 238 runs

Apart from that brief resistance by Aarif Sheikh and Sompal Kami, there was really no challenge from Nepal after Pakistan scored 342/6. Nepal are all out for 104 runs, Shadab Khan ends with figures of 4/27. This is after Pakistan made a score of 342/6 thanks to Babar Azam's 151 off 131 balls and Iftikhar Ahmed's 109 off 71 balls.

Well it is all coming to an end quite quickly now Shadab Khan has taken four wickets with the fall of Kushal Malla.

Jha goes for a slog sweep, gets a top edge and Fakhar charges in from deep midwicket. He dives forward and holes on to complete a stunner of catch.

Jha c Fakhar Zaman b Shadab Khan 13 (23), Nepal 91/7 in 21.3 overs

Mohammad Nawaz with a wicket in his first over. Full and turning into right hander Dipendra Airee. The batter takes a big step forward to defend and the ball spins through the gap between bat and pad.

Nepal are 86/5 in 19 overs. Rauf has bowled five overs on the trot and seems absolutely spent. Remember it is an oppresively hot day in Multan.

Edged and Rizwan dives to his left and completes the catch. Iftikhar at first slip was going for it as well but Rizwan didn't get distracted by that. Length on off from Rauf, Sompal tries to block, it takes an edge and goes behind.

Sompal Kami c Mohammad Rizwan b Haris Rauf 28 (46), Nepal 82/5 in 17 overs

Aarif makes room for the fourth ball of the 15th before it is delivered. Rauf bangs it in at a length around middle and off and it beats the bat and smashes the stumps.

Aarif Sheikh b Haris Rauf 26 (38), Nepal 73/4 in 14.4 overs

50 run partnership just 64 balls now between Aarif and Sompal. The resistance that they have put up against Afridi and Naseem, and now Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan, is quite extraordinary.

What could be the last ball of Afridi's spell is hit by Aarif over covers for four. Afridi may have taken two wickets but he has also conceded 27 runs in that spell. He goes to the boundary and is having a conversation with the physio. In fact it looks like he might just be taken off here. Not good signs for Pakistan. 

Afridi bowling his fifth over and so Pakistan are looking for as many early wickets as possible. Aarif and Sompal have done well to deal with Naseem and Afridi thus far. Sompal on 14 off 23, Aarif on 10 off 15.

Sompal Kami, who had an absolutely wretched day with the ball, is now facing the fire of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi.

Nepal are 18/3 in 2.1 overs. He goes for that inswinging yorker again, misses that somewhat and Aarif Sheikh just flicks it away over backward square leg.

Edged and gone! The ball goes to Iftikhar at second slip and he makes no mistake with that catch. 

Aasif Sheikh c Iftikhar Ahmed b Naseem Shah 5 (5), Nepal 14/3 in 1.4 overs

Two in two for Afridi. Full inswinger at the captain Rohit Paudel, the batter is late to bring the bat down and the ball raps the pads. As plumb as they come. Afridi will be on a hat-trick first ball of next over.

Rohit Paudel lbw b Shaheen Afridi 0 (1), Nepal 10/2 in 1 over

Afridi strangles Bhurtel down the leg side off the second last ball of the first over.

Eventful start to the Nepal chase. Shaheen Afridi bowling the first over and Kushal Bhurtel is facing up with Aasif Sheikh at the other end. The first is edged away to the cover boundary. Then Bhurtel helps the second ball to the fine leg boundary.

Javed Miandad and Saeed Anwar are fondly remembered as two of the greatest Pakistan batters of all time. Well, Babar Azam has now scored as many international centuries as both those greats did in their entire career.

Babar is the first captain to score a 150 in an Asia Cup match. He has also gone past Hashim Amla to become the fastest to 19 ODI centuries in terms of innings. Babar is also just one century away from equalling Anwar's record of most centuries for Pakistan in ODI cricket.

If that stand between Babar and Iftikhar felt abnormally huge, particularly if you are a Pakistan fan, well that's because it really was that. In fact it is the highest stand for Pakistan in an ODI for the fourth wicket or below. This is what that list looks like now. 

214 - Babar Azam & Iftikhar Ahmed vs NEP, Multan, 2023

206 - Mohammad Yousuf & Shoaib Malik vs IND, Centurion, 2009

198* - Misbah-ul-Haq & Kamran Akmal vs AUS, Abu Dhabi, 2009

176 - Younis Khan & Umar Akmal vs SL, Colombo (RPS), 2009

172 - Saleem Malik & Basil Ali vs WI, Sharjah, 1993

“Century is an achievement for a player, obviously I am very happy. Ball was gripping when I went in, so you need to give time for yourself to get set. Babar is a great player, World No. 1 player. It's an awesome feeling to bat with him. He rotates strike very well and we discussed about scoring a boundary when we get a loose ball. The wicket got better to bat on as the innings progressed.”

Shadab hits a four off his first ball and is dismissed off his second. An innings that seemed to be going awry in the first 20 overs before Babar and Iftikhar just pulled the rug on the Nepalese charge. Iftikhar ends unbeaten on 109 off 71. The partnership between him and Babar produced 214 runs in just 131 balls.

Babar holes out at long-on with two balls to go in the innings. Multan stands and applauds him as he walks off.14 fours and four sixes in his epic innings.

Babar Azam c sub (S Jora) b Sompal Kami 151 (131), Pakistan 338/5 in 49.4 overs

The first ball of the last over is a low full toss from Sompal, Iftikhar swats it away and the fielder at the boundary cannot stop it. Pakistan are 335/4 in 49.1 overs.

He gets to 101 in just 67 balls. Takes his helmet off, roars and pumps both his hands in the air after hitting Karan KC wide of short third. This has been an innings of some acceleration. 

Oh, he doesn't even bother to look at that ball once it leaves his bat. A no-look six as the modern jargon goes. Smashes Karan KC down the ground and the ball has gone deep into the stands. Iftikhar reaches 97 in 66, the partnership has crossed 200.

Second time he has crossed 150 in an ODI match and he has done so in 129 balls. Iftikhar at the other end on 87 off 63 and could score a century himself.